Crapemyrtle plant named ‘DJ 01-14’

ABSTRACT

A new crapemyrtle plant has deep, uniform purple foliage and stems; a true pink flower color; an intermediate upright growth habit; and powdery mildew and Cercospera resistance.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: ‘DJ 01-14’ is a Crapemyrtle plant that is a Lagerstroemia hybrid.

Variety denomination: The new crapemyrtle plant claimed is a variety denominated ‘DJ 01-14’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the discovery of a new and distinct cultivar of the ornamental flowering shrub Lagerstroemia indica x Lagerstroemia fauriei, commonly known as crapemyrtle, and hereafter referred to by the varietal denomination ‘DJ 01-14’, as herein described and illustrated.

The new crapemyrtle originated from open pollinated seed of a patented plant, ‘Chocolate Mocha’ Crapemyrtle (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,450). ‘DJ 01-14’ was selected from plants grown at a Horticulture Farm in Watkinsville, Ga. The seedlings were planted in containers and selections were made for plants based on the following criteria:

-   1.) Intermediate, upright (normal) growth habit -   2.) Powdery mildew resistance -   3.) Flower color and quality -   4.) Deep purple foliage and stem color     ‘DJ 01-14’ was selected in September 2014.

Asexual reproduction by traditional vegetative cuttings since 2014 at the Horticulture Farm in Watkinsville, Ga. has shown that the distinguishing characteristics of the new crapemyrtle variety, ‘DJ 01-14’ are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

‘DJ 01-14’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with changes in light, temperature, soil and rainfall amount, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been observed and represent the characteristics of the new cultivar. Asexual propagation by cuttings has proven that these characteristics are firmly fixed in succeeding asexually propagated generations. In combination, these characteristics distinguish ‘DJ 01-14’ from all other varieties known to the inventor:

-   1.) Deep, uniform, purple foliage and stems; -   2.) True pink flower color; -   3.) Intermediate, upright growth habit; and -   4.) Powdery mildew and Cercospera resistance.

‘DJ 01-14’ is distinguished from its parent plant Lagerstroemia indica x Lagerstroemia fauriei ‘Chocolate Mocha’ by its improved, more consistent, deeper purple foliage and its larger, truer pink flowers. ‘DJ 01-14’ over 3 years of evaluation, has proven to be more resistant to powdery mildew and Cercospera than ‘Chocolate Mocha’.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographic illustration shows the overall appearance and distinct characteristics of the new ‘DJ 01-14’ cultivar. The colors in the photograph are as close as possible with the photographic and printing technology utilized.

FIG. 1 is a close up view of the flowers of the ‘DJ 01-14’ variety.

FIG. 2 is a view of an entire five year old plant of the ‘DJ 01-14’ variety.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticulture Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for the description were approximately 2.5 years old and grown in 11.4 liter containers in full sun at a Horticulture Farm in Watkinsville, Ga.

‘DJ 01-14’ is a cultivar of Lagerstroemia indica x Lagerstroemia fauriei ‘Chocolate Mocha’. The current variety is a progeny from seed collected from ‘Chocolate Mocha’ in November of 2013. The male, or pollen parent is unknown (open-pollinated).

-   Propagation: Vegetatively by softwood stem cuttings. Softwood stem     cuttings root readily at 20-25° C. -   General description: Flowering shrub; compact, upright, intermediate     growth habit. Freely branching; lateral branches abundant without     pruning (although some winter pruning of dead wood is recommended).     Ultimately, proper pruning will result in a fine-textured, dense     habit. -   Root description: Numerous, fine, fibrous and well branched, color     155D. Young roots are fibrous, and old roots are woody. -   Root development: Average of 6 weeks at 25 degrees C. for root     initiation and average of 3 months at 30 degrees C. to produced     young rooted plant. -   Plant size: The original plant at 3.5 years is 152 cm high from the     soil level to the top of the uppermost inflorescences and about 91     cm wide. -   Blooming period: June through September in Watkinsville, Ga. Rebloom     after 6-8 weeks when spent flowers are removed. -   Plant type: Deciduous flowering shrub. -   Plant habit: Compact, branching, upright in outline, finely     textured, freely branched without pruning. -   Height and spread: Average of 2.4 meters in height and 1 meter in     width. -   Cold hardiness: USDA zones 6-8. -   Diseases: Resistant to powdery mildew and cercospera leaf spot. -   Growth rate: Moderate. -   Branch despription:     -   -   Branch shape.—Tetragonal on first year growth; round on             second year growth.         -   Branch color.—First year; N79B, second year 199C, trunk             199B.         -   Branch size.—Main branch: First year 30 cm in length and 6             mm in diameter, Second year: 65 cm in length and 10 mm in             diameter, lateral branches are 70-75 cm in length and 2 cm             in diameter, Trunk; multi-branched and 2.75 cm in diameter             at soil level.         -   Branch surface.—Lateral branches sparsely covered with             irregular lenticels 177B in color, trunk fine, smooth             barked, young bark 177B, older bark 199C.         -   Branch strength.—Young; flexible but strong, mature; easily             snapped.         -   Branching.—Freely branching habit without pruning, average             of 8 lateral branches.         -   Branch aspect.—Held at angles between 30-60 degrees.             Internode length average of 3 cm.         -   Vegetative buds.—Alternate sub-opposite in arrangement, avg.             of 4 mm in length 3 mm in width, conical in shape, 5-scaled             imbricate and lack pubescence, color N79B. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Leaf shape.—Elliptic, leaf division is single (simple).         -   Leaf base.—Cuneate, smooth.         -   Leaf apex.—Acute to abruptly acuminate, smooth.         -   Leaf veination.—Pinnate, upper surface N187A, lower surface             N187D.         -   Leaf margins.—Entire.         -   Leaf arrangement.—Sub-opposite to alternate.         -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.         -   Leaf surface.—Upper surface glossy, glabrous, waxy; lower             surface dull, slightly pubescent.         -   Leaf size.—Average 3.5 cm in length and average 2 cm in             width.         -   Leaf quantity.—Average of 70 per lateral branch.         -   Leaf color.—Young upper surface; N185A, young lower surface             N186A; mature upper surface; N186A, mature lower surface             N187B.         -   Petiole.—Average 1 mm in length and 1 mm in diameter,             surface texture smooth, glabrous, N186B moderate-strong. -   Flower description:     -   -   Inflorescence type.—Terminal panicle; 15 thryses, thryses             pyramidal conical, 5 mm long.         -   Persistence of inflorescence.—Inflorescences are showy for             an average of 4 weeks, individual flowers persist for an             average of 2 days, self cleaning.         -   Inflorescence size.—An average of 20 cm in height and 15 cm             in width.         -   Inflorescence number.—Terminally born, 1 per lateral branch.         -   Flower number.—Average of 8 flowers and flower buds per             inflorescence.         -   Flower fragrance.—Light sweet scent.         -   Flower buds.—Obovate in shape, and average of 5 mm in             length, 9 mm wide, rounded apex, surface is lustrous with 6             distinct suture lines, color is 183B.         -   Flower aspect.—Upright to outward.         -   Flower type.—Actinomorphic.         -   Flower size.—Average of 1.2 cm in diameter.         -   Petals.—Typically 6. Rotate/whorled in arrangement, fan             shaped, ruffled margins, sagittate base, ruffled and rounded             apex. Both surfaces glabrous, and average of 5 mm in length             and 10 mm wide. Color when opening, and when fully opened             upper and lower surface; N66D.         -   Calyx.—Consists of 6 sepals fused at base acute apices and             average of 7 mm in length and 10 mm in width, 183 B in color             on both surfaces, smooth and glabrous on both surfaces,             narrowly triangular in shape, apex is acuminate, margin is             entire, fine texture.         -   Peduncles.—Strong, average 7 cm in length and 3 mm in             diameter. N186C in color. Surface is covered with fine             appressed pubescences, strong.         -   Pedicels.—Strong, average of 8 mm in length and 1 mm in             diameter N186C in color. Surface is covered with fine             appressed pubescences. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Stamens.—25-30 stamens clustered in the center. 6 mm in             length surrounded by 6 longer stamens, 1 cm in length,             glabrous, surface, anthers; 12A in color, pollen color is             12A.         -   Pistils.—Single(1), average of 2 cm in length and width;             style is 1.5 cm in length and 59D in color; stigma, rounded             less than 1 mm in diameter, 59D in color; ovary, superior,             157C in color, 3 mm in diameter. -   Fruit and seed: Capsule; 6 valved dehiscent, broad rounded in shape     8 mm in length and diameter, immature seed color is 141C and mature     color is N199, each capsule contains 25 seeds, average of 6 mm in     length and 3 mm in width and N199B in color; Fruit: oval, rounded,     fruit depression at the apex absent; fruit depression at base     absent.     -   -   Pest resistance.—Neither resistance to nor susceptibility to             normal pests of Lagerstroemia plants has been observed. 

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of the Crapemyrtle plant named ‘DJ 01-14’, as herein illustrated and described. 